Mitered Box Corners - Woodworking Talk

Ken Johnson · 08-31-2008, 12:09 PM

I am in process of making my second cigar humidor and have a couple of glue-up questions. The outer box is made of Sapele with mitered corners. The top and bottom are Spalted Poplar fit with a tongue & groove all around. When I first dry fit everything, it all fit beautifly (not too tight). When I glued it up I used Tightbond III for a longer open time but I still had prpblems fitting everything up. two of my mitered corners didn't get as tight as I would have liked. That being said, no one else will notice the gap, it just annoys me. I think that in the time it took me to spread the glue, the wood soaked up some of the glue and expanded a bit to make a tighter fit on the tongue & groove joints. Is there a faster way to apply the glue or a better glue to use? I considered using Tightbond Hide Glue for an even longer open time but I was afraid that the moisture in the humidor could compromise the glue. I am putting a sealer coat on the inside of the box before I line it with Spanish Cedar so maybe it would have been fine. Any suggestions are welcome.

When it is complete I will post pictures. I put a coat of urethane on a scrap of the Sapele and the grain really pops when it is finished. I can't wait to see the finished product. I also used a resawing technique to get the grain of the Sapele to wrap all the way around the box! It is a really cool effect. Has anyone else worked with Sapele?

Eugene In NC · 08-31-2008, 08:04 PM

I am glad to see someone else on this forum who builds humidors. I hope we can exchange information when I do future humidor projects.
I have done a lot of humidor projects ranging in size from small 9" X 12" to large 42"wide 24" deep and 5' 9" tall cabinet type humidors. I have used most of the common woods such as walnut, cherry, maple, and mahogany for the outer box. I use polyurethane glue on the outer box because it allows enough open time and offers maximum strength. I also put a minimum of 5 coates of water based poly on the inside of the outer box. That will assure that no oder from the glue or finish can get to the inside of the humidor. I allow that to set for 4 or 5 days before I line the inside(build the inside box). Do you smoke cigars or are you building this for someone else? I like the larger humidors because I can put boxed cigars in them but they are a pain to build.

Good luck

Eugene

John in Tennessee · 08-31-2008, 08:11 PM

I have been thinking about building one for a friend. I do need to know the the mechanics of a humidor. Not to mention the best wood to use.

Ken Johnson · 09-01-2008, 10:52 PM

Eugene,

Since it sounds like you have some experience in this area. Maybe you can help me with something. The humidor I am building is about 13" x 10" x 8". Since it is so big, I would like to make a removable tray out of spanish cedar to provide a second level for cigars. What is the best way to construct a tray? Should I use finger joints or is there a better way? Any input would be appreciated.

Eugene In NC · 09-02-2008, 01:06 AM

Ken,
Box joints work well for this application. The bottom of the tray needs to be vented. I do that one of two ways. Sometimes I use a 1-1/4" bit to drill holes in the bottom of the tray. Sometimes I use a router to cut 1/2" slots in the bottom of the tray. I try to remove from 40% to 50% of the wood from the bottom. For this type of humidor I usually put the humidifier on the inside of the top wih a magnet.

Eugene

BTW: I NEVER use any type of poly glue or any type of glue other than yellow wood glue inside the humidor.